Most entrepreneurs spend their time trying to optimize their funnel, fix their ads or tweak their landing page. But the ones who scale to eight figures and beyond? They focus on fame. And not the tabloid kind or the “go viral for 15 seconds” kind of fame. I’m talking about engineered, strategic, platform-based fame — the kind that builds trust faster than a $100,000 ad budget ever could.

Over the last few years, I’ve had the privilege of working with billionaires, Olympic athletes, UFC stars and iconic business moguls inside our studio. What I discovered is simple: Fame isn’t accidental. It’s built like a business. And most founders are building the wrong one.

Authority Is the New Ads

We live in an attention-saturated world, and everyone’s selling something, which makes getting attention next to impossible. That means that, nowadays, the real power isn’t in running more ads, it’s in becoming the face people trust. And one of the best ways to build that trust is using the power of TV.

Being seen on TV is perceived as “real,” and you instantly become a recognized face. TV — especially on-demand streaming platforms — offers a kind of psychological authority no other media can match. Why? Because it feels real.

The production quality, the format, the platform — it all signals legitimacy. When someone sees you on a streaming platform next to household names, they don’t just watch you. They believe in you. It taps into a deep cultural bias: “If they’re on TV, they must be important.”

TV builds perception at scale. And in business, perception is power. Even better, TV content is evergreen. One great episode can be syndicated, clipped, reused and repurposed for years. It becomes a brand asset, not a moment in time.

At our studio, we’ve seen clients use a single docuseries to unlock a world of opportunity, including more high-ticket deals, speaking opportunities and even attract celebrity partnerships. Editor’s picks

But the question then is how you attract the right celebrity deals.

The Truth About Celebrity Deals (and What You’re Doing Wrong)

Most business owners approach celebrity partnerships the same way they approach influencers: Pay. Post. Pray.

That’s not how legacy brands are built. Real celeb partnerships are equity-based, tied to long-term storytelling and product alignment. It’s about integrating their why into your what.

We’ve structured dozens of these deals, working with high-profile businessmen, pro athletes and many others. The way we have done this is by building out full ecosystems around them. This includes:

• Custom product lines

• Done-for-you media assets

• Full-funnel campaigns

• Long-form brand storytelling

And they work. Not because the celeb is “famous.” But because we build trust infrastructure first.

The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify?

Don’t Chase Fame, Engineer It

Fame isn’t just for Hollywood anymore. In today’s business world, the founder is the face of the brand. Whether you like it or not, your audience wants to know who’s behind the product — and they decide in seconds whether they trust you or not. And trust is the new currency. It’s what turns browsers into buyers, turns followers into raving fans and turns cold calls into million-dollar deals. Related Content

I didn’t start with a Hollywood Rolodex. I built my own studio and network because I realized early on: If I wanted to create legacy brands, I couldn’t wait for permission. I had to own the camera, the set and the streaming pipeline.

And here’s how you can start engineering that kind of fame, right now.

1. Tell a Better Story

Forget your title or how many degrees you’ve got. People don’t connect with résumés — they connect with realness. Your story should show the struggle, the passion and the reason you care about what you do.

Write a 60-second version of your founder story. Make it personal. Make it punchy. Say it out loud until it flows. This becomes your pitch, your about section, your podcast intro — your brand backbone.

2. Build Credibility First

Before you chase attention, earn authority. Podcasts, business publications and niche platforms are your warm-up stage. They help establish credibility and warm your audience before you go mainstream.

Pitch yourself to three podcasts or online outlets this month. Focus on value, not self-promotion. Lead with a lesson, a bold take or something counterintuitive from your journey.

3. Upgrade Your Look

A grainy selfie video on Instagram won’t cut it when you’re trying to land deals, investors or media. You don’t need a Hollywood budget, but you do need content that screams “pro.”

Film a 2- to 3-minute video that shows your mission, your values or a behind-the-scenes of your brand. Use a pro team if you can, or level up your tools. Quality is a credibility multiplier.

4. Repurpose Like a Pro

Content is an asset — if you know how to slice it. A single great video can become 10 social clips, five quote cards, one blog post and a whole email sequence.

Build a content machine. For every long-form video or interview you do, create a checklist of at least seven ways you’ll reuse it. Then schedule it. Automate it. Scale it.

5. Step Into Bigger Rooms

Eventually, you outgrow social and earned media. That’s when it’s time to plug into platforms that give you scale and staying power — like TV. When people see you on the same screen as their favorite shows, something shifts. It’s no longer, “Who’s this person?” It’s, “This person must be legit.”

Start with a short-form docuseries or a founder spotlight episode. Partner with a producer or studio that already has the infrastructure and distribution.

Final Thoughts

Fame today is about positioning, production and platforms. Trending Stories Sabrina Carpenter Is Under Fire for a Spicy Album Cover. Tell It to Carly Simon Mike Lindell Declares Victory After Crushing Trial Defeat Jeremy Allen White Was Born to Run as Bruce Springsteen in ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’ Trailer The Death of a CrossFit Athlete

Build that media machine around your story and suddenly, everything else gets easier: trust, traffic, sales, partnerships, PR… it all flows from that one shift.

So don’t wait for fame to happen. Engineer it.